About Orca Running
Mission Statement: Providing exceptional running experiences for all abilities and paces; with operational policies that have a positive environmental impact and promote sustainability.
Cupless Races: Orca Running is committed to reducing waste and protecting the environment. As part of this committment, we are making all events cupless. The tiny little cups that are used for an instant generate tremendous amounts of garbage. We recommend you purchase a handheld bottle, a hydration pack, or we can provide you with a small re-useable cup that folds easily into your waistband to use during the entire race and future races.
Meet the Orca Team
Porter
Porter (Owner) started race directing in 2010 after a short career in engineering and has never looked back since. He’s completed races from 5k to 50M, but his favorite race is the one that he gets to run with his boys, Jamie and Beau, and will soon be running with daughter Anna.
Ashley
Orca Running’s Race Director/Co-owner, Ashley mixes drinks and designs killer courses with equal skill and panache. She has run several marathons including Chicago, but her greatest joy comes from lazy travels with her husband and daughters Elliot and Amelia and goldendoodle Nelly.
Hannah
Hannah heads up our marketing team and is a nine time marathon finisher including three world majors! Originally from Mississippi she loves travelling to find the sun and spending time with her partner and THREE boys. You may also find her on the hunt to find the best vegetarian food in Seattle.
Leah
Leah is our Volunteer Coordinator! When Leah isn’t working as a Executive Director of the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board for Thurston County or for Orca Running, she and her husband are out chasing their two little boys Lucas and Nathan. She loves ice cream, margaritas, and cat videos.
Amy
Amy was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and works in technology integration in the Lake Washington School District. She runs for many reasons, one of which is her intense love of eating copious amounts of ice cream and pop tarts. She frequently has her pup along side her at races, Douglas!
Ben
Orca Running’s Technical Director and Lead Timer, Ben has over 10 years experience timing races, small and very large. Ben moved to the PNW from New York in 2018 and resides in Seattle with his wife, Lauren and a crazy pup named Chorizo. His interests include international travels, sugar, Christmas, burgers, and wind turbines.
Aaron
Aaron started working for Orca Running in 2016 and is a huge part of making the events, especially the courses, a success. His 9-5 is in freight logistics, he devotes countless hours to youth rugby, and spends the remaining minutes of the day with his wife and daughters Josie & Genevieve.
Katie
Katie is also a co-owner of Orca Running/Evergreen Trail runs and is the race director for Evergreen Trail Runs. In the winter she spends her time up in the mountains as an avalance forecaster, and once the snow melts she is back race directing for Evergreen and training for long distance races. Her pup, Nimbus, is always close by and looking for the next adventure.
Rachel
Rachel started working for Orca and Evergreen in Client Services in 2022 and is currently the Community Marketing Manager. She also hosts the weekly Orca Run Club meet-ups on Tuesdays! When not working or training for her next big race she’s spending time with her husband and two boys Kaleb and Colton.
Chrissy
Chrissy joined Blackfish Timing in 2020 but has been in the industry since 2016. She times everything from 5K’s, triathalons, mountain bike enduros and Ski Mo races. She currently resides in Bellingham with her doggo Harley and she enjoys cooking for friends and working in her pollinator garden.
Hannah
Hannah is not only an Orca Running ambassador but she also works on race day. She is an elementary school teacher M-F (yay teachers!) and she still finds time to run marathons, her most recent being the 2025 Vancouver Marathon. She also enjoys wine tasting, cuddles from her cat Salsa, and vacationing with her mom, Rita.
Irene
Irene found her way to Washington with an avalanche forecasting job. Searching for summer work, she found the Evergreen family, and now Orca too. A fun fact is that Irene chased year-round winter for 12 years between Montana and New Zealand as a ski patroller before ending up in the glorious PNW, realizing summers are nice too.
Amanda
Amanda is the Volunteer Coordinator for Evergreen Trail Runs and works on race days for Orca and Evergreen Trails. Outside of Orca/Evergreen, you can find Amanda either volunteering in schools and on the trails, enjoying improv, or finding ways to be outside with her three kids, husband, and doggo, Hobbes.
